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Skytrax reveals the top 10 independent airport lounges and two are at Heathrow

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Skytrax, the company best known for its airline quality rankings (you have probably seem airline ads trumpeting their ‘5-star Skytrax Airline’ credentials), has published its list of the top 10 independent airport lounges.

Note that it is not clear what the methodology was.  Skytrax rankings are generally based on reader feedback but they do not have massive coverage of airport lounges, especially third party ones.

Here is top 10 for 2017:

Plaza Premium Heathrow 2

1 Plaza Premium Lounge, Heathrow Terminal 2 

2 Centurion Lounge, New York La Guardia

3 Plaza Premium Lounge, Hong Kong

4 Centurion Lounge, Dallas Fort Worth

5 SATS Premier, Singapore Terminal 1

6 Aspire by Swissport, Heathrow Terminal 3

7 Plaza Premium Lounge, Vancouver

8 dnata Lounge, Singapore Terminal 1

9 Centurion Lounge, Las Vegas

10 Plaza Premium Lounge, Brisbane

I have only been to two of these lounges – Aspire in Heathrow Terminal 3, which I reviewed here, and Plaza Premium in Heathrow Terminal 2, reviewed here and photo below.

I do rate both of these facilities highly.  Aspire has a small communal nap area which is rare in independent lounges, and of course is brand new.  (As the lounge is brand new – it opened in October 2016 – the ranking cannot be based on the volume of positive reports.)  Plaza Premium in Terminal 2 at Heathrow is a very classy facility with impressive food offerings, although it has no natural light.

I would also put Plaza Premium at Heathrow Terminal 4 up there, probably ahead of Aspire in Heathrow Terminal 3.

I’m surprised to see nothing from No 1 Lounges up there, although the Gatwick North facility suffered badly last year due to being used as BA’s overflow lounge.  I haven’t been to the new Gatwick South No1 Lounge yet (Anika reviewed it here) but my ‘hard hat’ visit before it opened made me feel that it should be an unbeatable combo of size, views and No1 service quality.  As always, though, awards such as these must be subjective.

The majority of these lounges can be accessed with a Priority Pass card (buy one here, or get one free with an American Express Platinum) or a Lounge Club card (two free visits with the free American Express Preferred Rewards Gold).

PS.  If you’re wondering what a Centurion Lounge is, I explained them in this article.  They are American Express-owned lounges which can be accessed by Platinum and Centurion American Express cardholders.

PPS.  The Plaza Premium Lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5 is now under construction as I reported here

Getting airport lounge access for free from a credit card

How to get FREE airport lounge access via UK credit cards (October 2024)

Here are the four options to get FREE airport lounge access via a UK credit card.

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with two free Priority Pass cards, one for you and one for a supplementary cardholder. Each card admits two so a family of four gets in free. You get access to all 1,500 lounges in the Priority Pass network – search it here.

You also get access to Eurostar, Lufthansa and Delta Air Lines lounges.  Our American Express Platinum review is here.

You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

If you have a small business, consider American Express Business Platinum instead.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

American Express Business Platinum

Up to 80,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for the first year. It comes with a Priority Pass card loaded with four free visits to any Priority Pass lounge – see the list here.

Additional lounge visits are charged at £24.  You get four more free visits for every year you keep the card.  

There is no annual fee for Amex Gold in Year 1 and you get a 20,000 points sign-up bonus.  Full details are in our American Express Preferred Rewards Gold review here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard gets you get a free Priority Pass card, allowing you access to the Priority Pass network.  Guests are charged at £24 although it may be cheaper to pay £60 for a supplementary credit card for your partner.

The card has a fee of £290 and there are strict financial requirements to become a HSBC Premier customer.  Full details are in my HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard review.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

A good package, but only available to HSBC Premier clients Read our full review

PS. You can find all of HfP’s UK airport lounge reviews – and we’ve been to most of them – indexed here.

Category

General

Comments (37)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • RN says:
    26 Jun26 June 04:32

    I have been to the two in Changi and although the decoration is nice, food and drink is underwhelming and they tend to get packed at certain times. This is specially so for the dnata lounge that services airlines like CX there.

  • Sam G says:
    26 Jun26 June 06:34

    Yes, I really wouldn’t put SATS Changi on any list – nice enough for an hour but nothing “top 10” about it!

  • Roger says:
    26 Jun26 June 07:17

    I am not even sure about the first rank here?
    Plaza Premium Lounge, Heathrow Terminal 2
    Visited last month on my way to NZ and it was fully packed.
    Was set on the same seating area pictured in front of the bar.
    Can’t fault staff for constantly refilling food and drinks items though.

    • Roger says:
      26 Jun26 June 07:19

      On my way to NZ we flew via BKK and stopped at Miracle lounges (tried three of them – 2 first class and one business class); which in my opinion were miles better.
      Much better shower facility and food and drinks.

  • Chris says:
    26 Jun26 June 08:18

    Certainly seems biased to the larger airports. And I’d be very interested in the selection criteria.

    I’d have thought most independent lounge visitors would be leisure travellers as business pax much more likely to be in an airline lounge.

    My worldwide favourite is the one at Malta airport – the outside terrace is fantastic.

    • Gareth says:
      26 Jun26 June 08:31

      Hi Chris would you say the Malta lounge is worth the £15/person lounge club cost then? Flight at 8.50pm thanks

      • Polly says:
        26 Jun26 June 15:36

        Yes Gareth, def worth it…if you want early bite to eat pre flight and a couple of glasses of chilled white, it’s the place to be…wish more lounges worldwide had a terrace…very clever of the Maltese airport…and they get the weather to support it. Gorgeous island….

        • Anna says:
          26 Jun26 June 18:48

          Gibraltar has a terrace, but distinctly underwhelming food and drink. Great views of the rock though!

        • Mr(s) Entitled says:
          26 Jun26 June 21:12

          Marco Polo at Venice has a terrace overlooking the apron and runways. It also has fantastic Prosecco served in mammoth wine glasses and exceptional cold meats. Wonderful view and you can eat and drink your entry fee in no time. Great lounge.

      • Chris says:
        26 Jun26 June 20:56

        Would be value at £30 each.
        Obviously less value if it’s raining!!

    • Crafty says:
      26 Jun26 June 21:00

      Disappointed to hear that, as I’ve only ever been in about 3 lounges including the Malta one and loved it! Was hoping more would be like that!

  • Leo says:
    26 Jun26 June 08:19

    I wasn’t that impressed by the No 1 at Gatwick South. They were refusing PP clients anyway – used my CX boarding pass to get in. It was busy not full. It was nowhere near as nice as the BA lounge. I agree that Aspire in T3 is nice enough. Both lounges benefit from being quite new. Does anyone have experience of the Virgin lounge situation in Hong Kong now they are using Plaza Premium lounge instead of their pen-friend?

    • Leo says:
      26 Jun26 June 08:21

      Pen-friend = own lounge. Great auto-correct mishaps of our time!

      • Rob says:
        26 Jun26 June 08:55

        I am in Gatwick tomorrow and I hoping to have a look at No 1 South.

        Norwegian uses it for its Premium pax (Anika was in there on Thursday) which, as their network grows, is presumably taking up quite a bit of capacity.

        • Leo says:
          26 Jun26 June 09:17

          Its perfectly okay. Suffered in comparison to the spanking new (that week) BA lounge maybe.

  • Edmond Rose says:
    26 Jun26 June 08:25

    I am in no position to comment on Skytrax ratings of airport lounges as I don’t have enough experience of non-airline lounges, but over the years many people have pointed out a seeming lack of rigour and accuracy in Skytrax airline ratings and awards. Personally, I wouldn’t be guided by Skytrax. As others note here, it’s not clear what the selection criteria are.

  • AmandaB says:
    26 Jun26 June 08:33

    Used the T2 Plaza Premium lounge last week. Very poor coffee.
    And why do people watch vidoes without headphones and use their phones on speaker to talk to their children? Or is it just me who wants a quiet visit? Grrrrrrrr

    • Boi says:
      26 Jun26 June 11:57

      Because it is much nicer and comforting for kids to see their parent on FaceTime/video rather than just voice talk. Sometimes we have to travel without our young kids and it’s hard enough.
      Why do people like privacy/quiet even in public places?! Grrrrr

      • Alan says:
        26 Jun26 June 11:59

        However that doesn’t stop you using headphones! I’ve no issue people making video calls, but why not plug in headphone so that the sound doesn’t boom around the whole room?

      • Crafty says:
        26 Jun26 June 21:02

        You really ought to use headphones though, it’s quite selfish not to.

  • mark2 says:
    26 Jun26 June 09:58

    It seems like another meaningless list to me. How many people have visited enough lounges to make a valid judgment.
    On the subject of Centurion lounges, we visited the one in Seattle two weeks ago. It has just been enlarged from a Studio and was very impressive if not enormous. The food was very good and the two barmen very knowledgeable, in fact all the staff were very good..

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